Election 2022: Feel Like Your Vote Doesn’t Count? Here’s Why You’re Wrong
With the Federal Election on the horizon, young people everywhere are without a doubt feeling overwhelmed.
And, getting our voices heard has never been more important to us – since the election was called, the majority of enrolments to vote have come from young Australians.
For our April Series, we’re helping unpack politics in the hopes of making you feel a bit more empowered pre-election, whether you’re eligible to vote or not.
This week, we chatted to three politically engaged youth advocates who’ve seen the impact our voices can have firsthand. Let’s meet ‘em:
Now we’ve established these legends are the experts, we asked them the tough questions:
What would you say to someone who feels like their voice or vote doesn’t matter?
Put simply? Angus, Elizabeth ad Ed declared this was not true.
For example, thanks to Ed’s organisation, Run For It, more than a quarter of the young candidates they supported were elected in the last Victoria state election a couple of years back.
Now, the spots previously held by older people are filled by candidates who better represent the young people in their council area.
It shows the importance of representation, and how action from a grassroots level has real power.
“If we show up to vote, and make an informed vote, we have the power to influence the outcomes in our country, and the issues that are on the political agenda,” she says.
What should we do if we feel powerless, then?
It’s easy to feel this way, especially when the politicians from major parties don’t look or talk like us.
Angus from UNICEF has three tips for any young people feeling too intimidated or scared to engage.
1. Look outside the major parties.
"There are a lot of really, really fantastic independent community-led voices coming through that base their politics on making a change as opposed to being parachuted into a seat,” he says.
2. Look to youth organisations.
3. Realise the meaningful impact of your vote and voice.
“Look at your local electorate and community and see who's the member, who are the people running, what the margins are, and what the issues are that they're running on,” Angus says.
“Because if you had a group of a couple hundred young people reaching out to an MP and saying ‘hey, you'll lose this election if you get 500 less votes, we're a group of young people that wanna see some positive change, what can you do for us?’ it could be the difference,”
What is at the forefront of our minds this election?
We want better representation. That was the message echoed through every chat and it’s why the work of Run For It and Voting Party is so important.
“In an ideal world, we want to see more political leaders who are diverse, inclusive, and represent the values that our generation shares,” Elizabeth says.
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Where are the best places to start educating ourselves on politics?
First things first, Elizabeth says don’t be too hard on yourself if you find politics overwhelming.
“I studied Political Science, and I still feel like a complete beginner sometimes,” she says.
If you’re keen on more resources, trust us, they’re abundant.
For example, the Federal Parliamentary Education Office has a range of info/resources on things that are hard to wrap your head around if you're not closely following politics.
Check out podcasts like ‘No Silly Questions’ by The Daily Aus or ‘Left Right Out’ by Spotify for a great intro to politics, complete the ‘Vote Compass’ by the ABC to see how you align with political parties, and check out Voting Party’s full list of resources here.
You got this!
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This seems pretty grim. Is there a bright side?
“Even if it doesn't feel like you are having as much of a say, or as much of an impact as you think, you are the reason why the communities are strong. It's because of young people,” Angus says.
